Pao Bhaji in Slow Cooker

I belong to Jaipur and Pao-Bhaji at roadside stalls at Pandit Pao Bhaji has always been my favorite snack all my life. I have always missed the Pandit pao bhaji and have prepared the same many times. But this particular time, as I was exploring the many benefits of my slow cooker, I thought to give a try to prepare the bhaji in the slow cooker; and trust me, I have never been able to prepare a richer, creamier and yummiest pao bhaji before on my stove top.

So here's the step by step method that I followed to achieve the yummiest ever pao bhaji!

Ingredients:

Cooking oil: 4 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1 big
Vegetables of choice (I used cabbage, capsicum and carrots)
Boiled potatoes: 4
Salt to taste
Red chili powder: 1 tsp.
Cumin powder: 1 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1 tsp.
Mango powder: 1 tsp.
Tomatoes (roughly chopped): 2
Peas: 1 cup (I used frozen peas)
Pao Bhaji masala: 2 tbsp.
Butter to add over the bhaji

1. Add the cooking oil to the slow cooker and add the onions. Turn on the slow cooker on low and let the onions get warm for a while. 
   
2. Add the chopped and diced vegetables next: cabbage, capsicum and carrots. You can use other vegetables as well. 
   
3. Next, add the boiled and roughly chopped potatoes. 
   
4. Add the dry spices: salt, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and mango powder. 
   
5. Add the tomatoes. 
   
6. Add the peas and the pao bhaji masala. 
   
7. Try and stir all of it together. Add a cup of water. 
   
8. Cover and leave overnight. 
9. In the morning, turn off the slow cooker, remove the lid and add the dollop of butter. 
    
   
10. Serve hot with pao bread. Enjoy! 

You can prepare the same on stove top if you don't own a slow cooker using the same recipe or this Pao Bhaji recipe I use to prepare on stove top. 

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Chicken Biryani in Slow Cooker

Biryani !! The mention of this dish always makes me drool and undoubtedly I can have a serving of biryani even with a full stomach. And I know nobody can resist a plate full of yummy biryani. But whenever I think about preparing the same, I feel really tired by thinking the elaborate process involved in cooking of biryani and I can totally not prepare it, no matter how much I'm craving for it. I'm sure you know the feeling of craving something and then not being able to have it because you are too tired to prepare it and you know you won't get that awesome dish anywhere else.

But now, you actually can! And without tiring yourself out and also without putting in much of an effort and time. Believe me, we had this biryani on a weeknight dinner which was a working day, all because my slow cooker was putting in all the efforts to make this yummy biryani, bursting with flavors, while I was at work. It's so simple you could actually put in just 15 minutes of your time and can relish this dish any day. It requires some before hand preparation though, but 15 minutes, for a biryani, I'm sure that's not asking a lot.

Ingredients:

For marination:

Chicken: 300 gm
Ginger-garlic paste: 6 tsp.
Yogurt: 1 cup
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Cumin powder: 1 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1 tsp.
Garam masala: 1 tsp.
Mango powder: 1 tsp.
Lemon juice: 4 tsp.

For masala:

Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1
Ginger (chopped): 6 cloves
Garlic (chopped): 1 inch
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped): 2
Butter: 2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Garam masala: 1 tsp.
Kasoori methi: 1 tsp.
Yogurt: 1/4 cup

For biryani:

Rice: 2 cups
Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Onion (sliced): 2
Cashews: a few
Home made biryani masala: 2 tsp. (Recipe: Home made biryani masala)
Milk: 1/4 cup
Saffron strands: a few
Mint leaves: a handful
Coriander leaves for garnish

1. Wash and clean the chicken and marinate the chicken in marinating ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight or 8 hours. 
2. Take out the marinated chicken 30 minutes before you begin the preparation to bring it to room temperature.  
3. Turn on your slow cooker and add oil to it. Add the marinated chicken and mix it. 
4. Add the chopped onions, garlic, ginger, green chili and mix well. 
5. Add the salt and red chili, mix well. Add the dollop of butter and cover the slow cooker. Turn it on the low mode and leave for work. Let it cook slowly for about 8 hours. 
6. After 8 hours, add the chopped tomatoes and the yogurt. Mix well and cover again and turn on the mode to high. 
7. Boil rice: How to make the perfect boiled rice. 
8. Turn off the slow cooker. Take out all the contents in a big bowl. Now layer the rice at the base of slow cooker bowl and then a layer of chicken. Add another layer of rice and sprinkle the mint leaves. Add the remaining chicken and cover it with another layer of rice. 
9. Sprinkle the biryani masala over this rice layer. Add the saffron strands and sprinkle the milk. Cover the slow cooker and turn on again on slow mode. Leave for an hour. 
10. Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan and fry the sliced onions until they are brown and crisp. Toast the cashews in the same oil. 
11. Open the slow cooker, add the sliced onions and cashews, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot !! 

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Dal Bukhara

Dal Bukhara is a typical Punjabi dal which is made with the minimal spices and is a rich, creamy and royal dal. In looks it resembles to Dal Makhani, tastes completely different and the cooking method is also very different, and so are the ingredients. Some people confuse Dal Bukhara and Dal Makhani, some even think they are the same, but actually they are not. But a similarity is that both use Black Urad Dal as the base.

This authentic recipe was given to me by my Nani Ji who was born and brought up in Pakistan and later moved to India at the time of India-Pakistan partition. She told me about her childhood memories where she used to live nearby the area of Punjabi restaurants (which were more like dhabas) in Pakistan where this amazing dal was cooked overnight in slow flame in tandoors and the aroma of this mouth watering dal being cooked wafting in the air. They used to sometimes get this lip-smacking dal packed for home and used to make tandoori rotis to go with it to make a wholesome meal.

She told me the recipe how it can be prepared in pressure cooker because it's really not possible to cook in a tandoor in modern times. So here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

Black Urad Dal (whole): 1 cup
Black Masoor Dal: 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Mustard oil: 6 tsp.
Milk: 1 cup
Buttermilk: 1 cup
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp.
Cinnamon: 1 inch
Black Cardamom: 1
Cloves: 3
Black peppercorns: 1/2 tsp.
Cashews: 8-10
Onion (chopped): 1
Ginger-garlic paste: 3 tsp.
Tomato (chopped): 2
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Tamarind: 1 tsp.
Garam masala: 1 tsp.
Cream to garnish (optional)

1. Wash and soak both dals separately in water for 5-6 hours before cooking. Drain water and add both dals to a pressure cooker. Add 4 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Turn off the flame and let the pressure release itself. 
2. Open the pressure cooker and mix the dal. Add 1/4th cup milk and 1/4th cup buttermilk and mix well. Again close the cooker and keep on flame till 2 whistles. Again turn off the flame and let the pressure release. Open cooker and mix dal. Add in 1/4th cup buttermilk and mix in with the dal. Add 1/4th cup milk, mix well and again close the cooker till two whistles. This process will be repeated two more times, until we add and pressure cook all the buttermilk and milk. At this stage the dal will become soft and cooked. If not, do one more round with adding milk+buttermilk. 
   
3. Dry roast cumin seeds, cinnamon, black cardamom, cloves and peppercorns on medium flame. When roasted, add the mustard oil above the whole spices. It will start leaving a wonderful aroma mixed of mustard and the spices.
4. Add the chopped onions and fry until they start getting brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and mix well. Let cook for about 2 minutes. add in the cashews and fry well. 
5. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Add salt and let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Add red chilli powder and mix well. 
   
6. Add the tamarind and mix well. Cook for another minute. 
7. Add in the mashed and cooked dal. Mix well with the masala and cook for a minute. Transfer to the cooker and mix everything well. Add little water if required, ideally no extra water is added as this dal is thick in texture and consistency. Let cook for 20 minutes on low flame. If you have time then do leave on the lowest flame for about an hour (or as much time you have).
8. Add garam masala and turn off the flame. Cover the cooker and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove cover and serve hot !!! 

I have also prepared the Dal Bukhara in a slow cooker and it has turned out to be so much more creamy, rich, flavorful an yummy. This dal basically used to be cooked on low flame overnight to bring out the best flavors. And my slow cooker has totally made it possible to have the creamy and slow cooked yummy flavor.

Ingredients used in the preparation of Dal Bukhara in slow cooker are exactly the same as used in the normal procedure to be cooked on the stove top, as mentioned above.

1.  Wash and soak both dals separately in water for 5-6 hours before cooking. Drain water and add both dals to your slow cooker. Add 4 cups of water, mix and turn on the slow cooker and leave on low overnight or at least 8 hours. 
2. After 8 hours, the dals will be soft and cooked. Now add 1/4th cup milk and 1/4th cup buttermilk and mix well. Again close the cooker with the lid and leave on low for 2 hours. 
3. Open the slow cooker after 2 hours and mix dal. Add in 1/4th cup buttermilk and mix in with the dal. Add 1/4th cup milk, mix well and again close the cooker with the lid and leave on low for 2 more hours. This process will be repeated two more times, until we add all the buttermilk and milk. At this stage the dal will become soft and creamy. 
   
   
4. After you have added the buttermilk and milk for the last time, prepare the masala on stove top. It is the same way as we prepare on stove top method. 
5. Dry roast cumin seeds, cinnamon, black cardamom, cloves and peppercorns on medium flame. When roasted, add the mustard oil above the whole spices. It will start leaving a wonderful aroma mixed of mustard and the spices.
6. Add the chopped onions and fry until they start getting brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and mix well. Let cook for about 2 minutes. add in the cashews and fry well. 
7. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Add salt and let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Add red chilli powder and mix well. Add the tamarind and mix well. Cook for another minute. Turn off the flame. 
8. After 2 hours from the last time the dal has been put on low with milk and buttermilk are done, add this whole masala to the cooked and creamy dal. 
   
9. Mix well, cover with a lid and leave on low for another 4 hours. 
   
10. Remove cover, turn off the slow cooker and add garam masala. Mix well and serve the rich and wonderful slow-cooked dal with jeera rice! 

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Black eyes beans curry

Black-eyed beans curry is one of the regular curries made in Punjabi kitchens. This is also my absolute favorite because unlike other beans which need overnight soaking, this can be prepared in a jiffy without any soaking time. My mother used to make this lip-smacking curry and we simply loved it !! It is called "lobhia" in a lot of places, we call it "rongi". A lot of people mistake it for soyabean but it's entirely different. Today sharing the wonderful recipe from my mother's kitchen. This can be eaten with chappati or paratha. Tastes more amazing the next day because the flavors blend together for such a long time.

Ingredients:

Black eyed beans: 2 cups
Cooking oil: 2 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped): 1
Ginger (grated): 1 inch
Garlic (grated): 3 cloves
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp.
Coriander leaves to garnish

1. If possible, soak the beans in warm water for about an hour. This is not necessary but can soak for easy absorption in the curry in less time. You can soak it anywhere between 15 minutes to 90 minutes. Pressure cook the soaked beans till 4-5 whistles are sounded. Keep aside and prepare the curry.
2. Heat oil and crackle the cumin seeds. When it splutters, add onions and fry until they start becoming transparent. Add the garlic and cook it for about a minute. 
3. Add tomatoes, green chilli and ginger to the pan, mix well and sprinkle salt. Mix well and let it cook until the tomatoes become soft and mushy.
4. Add the red chilli powder and turmeric powder, give a stir and cook for another minute. 
5. Add the boiled beans to this masala (without the water) and mix well. Let cook for about 10 minutes so all the masala gets incorporated in the beans. Do not throw away the water in which the beans are boiled.
6. Transfer this complete mix to the pressure cooker with the water. Add little more water if required and mix well. Let boil at low-medium flame for about 15-20 minutes.
7. Turn off the flame and add the garam masala. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove cover, garnish with coriander leaves and serve !!

I prepared this Black eyed beans curry in my slow cooker as well and it came out like magic! It does save a lot of time and could be prepared either as one pot dish or making the masala separately. I make my masala separately whenever I have time otherwise it all gets cooked together and it turns out to be a super awesome dish, every time. 

The ingredients to the dish are exactly the same as mentioned above in the pressure cooker method. 

1. Wash and soak the beans in warm water for about an hour. This is not necessary but can soak for easy absorption in the curry in less time. You can soak it anywhere between 15 minutes to 90 minutes. 
2. Drain the water and add the soaked beans to the slow cooker. 
   
3. Add 4 cups of water and salt. Cover and let the beans boil on low setting overnight or for about 8-10 hours. 
   
4. While the beans are getting boiled, you can prepare the masala. It will take only about 15 minutes but brings out the best flavors if the masala is prepared in a pan and then added to the curry. 
5. To prepare the masala is exactly the same way as done in the pressure cooker method. Heat oil and crackle the cumin seeds. When it splutters, add onions and fry until they start becoming transparent. Add the garlic and cook it for about a minute. 
6. Add tomatoes, green chilli and ginger to the pan, mix well and sprinkle salt. Mix well and let it cook until the tomatoes become soft and mushy.
7. Add the red chilli powder and turmeric powder, give a stir and cook for another minute. 
   
8. Add this whole masala to the slow cooker. 
   
9. Mix well, cover and leave on low for another 8-10 hours. 
10. Finally, add the garam masala and give a stir and turn off the slow cooker. 
    
11. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve. 
    
12. Alternatively if you would not like to go in the hassle of making the masala separately, just chop everything finely: onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, green chili. Add all of this and salt, red chili powder and turmeric powder to the boiled beans and stir. Leave for 8-10 hours. It turns out amazing both ways. 

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Looking for more Punjabi recipes? Try this Dal Makhani recipe, Dal Bukhara recipe, Punjabi Dal Fry and Punjabi Rajma Masala.